ETO'O BAN: INTER TO APPEAL

MILAN - F.C. Internazionale announces that it will appeal against the punishment inflicted to Samuel Eto'o. The sporting judge sanctioned a three-match ban and a 30,000 euro fine to the striker, as can be read in the official document number 80 issued this morning.

"The sporting judge, received in timely and customary fashion from the federal attorney (fax 1:53pm on the November 22nd, 2010) indication of the art.35, 1.3, CGS regarding the conduct of the player Samuel Eto'o (Club F.C. Internazionale) in the 37th minute of the first half towards the player Bostjan Cesar (Club Chievo Verona); after acquiring and examining the relevant television footage (SKY), of complete technical and documented guarantee; reading the indication of art.35, 1.3, CGS of F.C. Internazionale Milano S.p.A., undersigned by the Vice President Dr.Rianldo Ghelfi, submitted at 3:22pm on November 22nd, 2010, and examining the attached DVD; it is viewed that:

The television footage indicates that, in the mentioned circumstance, the referee was giving to the Nerazzurri team a free kick for a foul suffered, in the central area of the pitch, by the player Samuel Eto'o from the Chievo player Cesar. In awaiting play to resume, Cesar was moving towards his own penalty box, and in doing so was caught up by the Inter striker who, in a rapid movement of his head in a forward motion, struck him in the chest forcing him to fall to the ground in pain. The referee did not adopt any disciplinary measure as his attention, and that of his assistants, was understandably given 'to the monitoring other areas of the pitch' as explained, on request of this office, through an email issued at 3:01pm on November 22nd, 2010.

This judge considers that the act committed by the Nerazzurri player falls within the extremities of that 'violent conduct' which, can be interpreted as, intentional and with the ability to harm: so blatant is in fact the intent to strike the opponent equally obvious is the force of the impact. Therefore follows the acceptance of the art.35, n.1.3 CGS of the video evidence ad the sanction of art.19, n.4 point b) CGS for the given behaviour. Finally, as for the indication submitted by the Milan-based club, as declared 'in the sole interest of F.C. Internazionale and its registered player Samuel Eto'o, and not representing any action towards potential disciplinary sanctions of any other registered players', this judge considers that the attached video evidence exclusively documents the behaviour of the two players in the occasion of the foul by Cesar, as already mentioned, in an earlier moment to the episode in question.

And as that behaviour was unquestionably taken into consideration by the match official the documentation produced around it is to be considered irrelevant, if not under the aspect of a strictly occasional relationship with the violent conduct successively adopted by the player Eto'o. For this reason the verdict, towards the indication from the federal attorney, is to sanction the player Samuel Eto'o (F.C. Internazionale) with a three-match ban and a fine of 30,000 euro.